How Can I Get Rid of Him

uǝǝʇuǝʌǝs ɐɹʇxǝ

Mo Xi had brought very little luggage, just a simple backpack containing a few clothes and toiletries. Afraid that he might change his mind, as soon as they got out of the car, Pei Hao snatched the backpack and carried it in his hand. He strode purposefully in the direction of his home, and Mo Xi, unable to compete, reluctantly followed along.

After the two of them got out of the car, the taxi driver adjusted the rearview mirror, turned off the "available" sign, and watched their departing figures with a strange feeling in his heart. For some reason, he felt that the atmosphere between these two grown men resembled that of a quarreling couple.

In fact, not long after Pei Hao returned to work in City X, Pei Yi Xin had bought him an apartment in the city center, a duplex with its own backyard, a quiet oasis amidst the hustle and bustle. However, after their relationship broke down, Pei Hao had moved out and started renting a one-bedroom apartment. It was situated in a building where most residents were white-collar workers in City X, and the environment was quite decent.

After entering, Pei Hao placed Mo Xi's bag in the bedroom and pointed to the bathroom, saying, "Go take a shower, then go to my room to sleep."

"What about you?" Mo Xi looked embarrassed. He hadn't expected Pei Hao's place to have only one bedroom. Given his understanding of the rich and arrogant Pei heir, he had assumed it would be at least a two-bedroom apartment.

"On the couch," Pei Hao raised his chin and gestured towards the living room area. Then, he yawned. He was truly quite exhausted.

"Or maybe I should sleep on the couch," Mo Xi rubbed his nose, feeling somewhat guilty. No matter how you looked at it, Pei Hao had also been busy helping Xiao Jun all night. Seeing how weary he looked, he was probably quite tired himself.

Pei Hao playfully tapped his forehead and pushed him towards the bathroom. "Quit talking nonsense. Shower quickly and go to sleep."

After Mo Xi finished his shower, he dried his hair with a towel. Glancing around the bathroom, he was surprised to find that all of Pei Hao's toiletries were exactly the same as they were several years ago. The face wash was the same one he had chosen back then, and the shampoo was still the citrus scent he liked so much.

Everything was reminiscent of the past, yet different from it as well.

He emerged from the bathroom, towel-drying his hair. Pei Hao was already sprawled out on the couch, his eyes closed as if he were asleep. Under the influence of some inexplicable spell, Mo Xi found himself walking towards Pei Hao.

Though his every bit of rationality was resisting Pei Hao, deep within his subconscious, he wanted to get closer, to see what the person he had loved for so many years looked like now, after more than two years of separation.

He stopped about a meter away from Pei Hao and looked at his sleeping face. The face that had appeared countless times in his dreams was now right in front of him, so vivid and tangible. He could reach out and touch it. Pei Hao had indeed lost a lot of weight; his face seemed to have shed a whole layer of flesh. His sharp features appeared even more distinct, and a few strands of disheveled hair hung over his forehead, partially obscuring his stern eyebrows and eyes.